Someone old, someone new
by phoenixconcept
Summary: A mysterious stranger has shown up in the Mojave Wastelands. He seeks counsel with the Courier, who was recently appointed leader of New Vegas. They both have secrets. They are both prepared to die to honour them... The backstory loosely follows the brilliant 'Mistakes We Knew We Were Making' by Tashtastic and breaks off around Chapter 15/16 to follow my own story. Thanks Tash.
1. Chapter 1

As Vulpes Inculta exited his quarters of the Legion Fort, a stranger in the shadows watched him go from beneath his dark hood. He moved across the dusty ground silently and slipped inside the tent before the fabric even had time to settle. In front of the stranger, inside the doorway, lay a Legionary soldier, unconscious. His laboured breath wheezed through a broken and bloodied nose and his eyes were swollen shut. At the far side of the tent, a naked woman sat on the floor, flushed and panting. Her eyes widened at the sight of him and she scrambled to find something to cover herself with.

"Forgive me Courier," the stranger spoke softly, fleeting his eyes over her pale body, "it is not my intention to either harm or humiliate you, but I would like to speak with you." He turned his head so his hood would offer the young girl some privacy as she dressed.

"Who the hell are you and what do you want with me?" She demanded, rapidly pulling clothes on. "Are you the next method of torture Caesar has devised? Are you going to pull my fucking fingernails out? Is that why he summoned Vulpes?" She spat her words, "Fuck you!"

If the way she spoke to him had any effect, it didn't show. In fact his whole demeanour, the Courier noticed, was so relaxed, she could almost have believed he was barely even there, if it weren't for the fact she was looking at him.

"On the contrary, honey," he replied, his voice liquid, "nobody even knows I am here. You're the first person I've spoken to in a very long time. I've sought you out because I've been monitoring your progress throughout the Mojave and despite several dubious decisions," he looked poignantly at the bed of Vulpes Inculta, "I believe you to be a trustworthy person whose judgement is generally sound. That is important to my task at hand."

The Courier found herself calmed by the way this stranger spoke, but her stubbornness shone through and she shook off the serenity that had washed over her. She found her boots and pulled them on. "You still haven't told me who you are, and what do you mean nobody knows you are here? Aren't you a guest of Caesar? You can't have entered the fort without someone seeing you."

"Who I am will pose more questions than I have time to answer, so for now I'm hoping you can trust me based on some information I can offer. Your man, Inculta," the Couriers eyes darted to his at the mention of the Fox's name, "has been summoned to Caesar to hear conditions of his and your release from Fortification Hill. While you can trust Caesar to allow you to leave, he has an agenda beyond what he is prepared to divulge. Take his offer, and leave this place as soon as possible. There are others here who believe Inculta should be punished for his," he paused, "personal interest in the famous ruler of New Vegas."

The Courier stared at him for a moment and stood. Looking at the floor, she slowly circled the tent and positioned herself between the stranger and the exit. "Psh!" she exclaimed, "You're talking shit. Caesar will never allow us to leave this place. Why the hell should I listen to you? In fact," she pulled a knife from her boot, "you can damn well wait here until Vulpes get's back, and he can decide what to do with you. I guarantee it won't be pleasant."

The stranger smiled at the way she'd manoeuvred herself into a strategic position, to prevent him from leaving without a fight. She was quite the warrior.

"My dear Tash, formidable as you are, leaving this place will not be a problem for me, and I have no intention of engaging you in combat. Alas, I have still not imparted the information I believe will secure your cooperation."

"So what is it?" she asked incredulously. "What could possibly get me to trust you?"

"This agenda of Caesar," he spoke soberly, "is the death of a mutual acquaintance of ours." He paused as footsteps approached the tent. The courier, turned her head to see who would come through the doorway. The stranger continued, "Caesar has ordered the death of Desmond Lockheart."

The Courier gasped in shock and snapped her head back to look at the stranger as Vulpes Inculta entered the tent. To her astonishment, the silent man had gone.

* * *

A mixed silence had descended upon the fort as the Courier and Vulpes made their way to the exit. The men they passed wore expressions of disappointment and hate, disbelief and in some cases, pride. Many were clearly having problems with Caesars decision to release them both, but it was a testament to his mighty hold over his legion that nobody spoke or acted out of turn.

In the distance, Tash could see Benny, still strung up on his cross. A fire of regret flared up within her. She had all but begged Vulpes to help her take him with them, but he merely stared at her with his cold eyes, ordered her to collect her things, donned his Vexillarius helmet and left the quarters. As she'd joined him outside, his eyes had scanned every visible area of the fort, scrutinising each face in sight.

Now as they moved through the parting sea of soldiers, Vulpes seemed not to notice or care that his men, his comrades, his subordinates were at unrest. He continued to study his surroundings as though looking for something.

They moved around the arena and the Courier cast a glance to Caesars tent. He was not there, which did not surprise her, but Lucius stood glowering at them. Even from this distance, she could sense the pure hatred the Praetorian leader had for them, Vulpes in particular, but she held no fear of him whatsoever. Although he could be as sadistic as Vulpes, she knew his power came from the loyalty and respect of his men, and she wondered if it came down to it, who they would follow, Caesar or Lucius.

The giant gates to the fort opened ahead of them, allowing them through. Tash paused at the head of the steep steps which led down the hill. She surveyed the view across Lake Mead, subconsciously checking for any signs of a threat, if there even was anything more threatening than a vilified legion at your back.

As they descended the steps, Vulpes spoke to her with the soft but threatening tone that sent tingles up her spine, both pleasure and fear. "Why is it we've gotten this far, and you've not once asked why we're permitted to leave, or where we're going?"

Tash inwardly chided herself. She'd decided not to mention the stranger to Vulpes until she'd had time to think about what he'd said. Hell, she wasn't convinced he'd been anything more than a figment of her imagination. She thought fast.

"When you came back and said we were leaving, I figured you'd been summoned to Caesar to do his bidding. I kinda hoped I was coming along because you'd bartered for my life?" She threw in the last bit as a test. She wasn't sure if she could yet trust Vulpes when it came to choices between her and Caesar.

Vulpes stopped and looked hard at her. His face was riddled with distrust, but she got the feeling it wasn't directed at her. He moved on without another word. They got to the barge and travelled to Cottonwood Cove. Vulpes didn't speak another word as they travelled, though his eyes never stopped moving, studying the ridge lines and shores.

They passed through Cottonwood Cove without incident and were barely given a second glance. The Courier was not going to give in to Vulpes mood, so there was no conversation at all. She kept pace with him and watched for signs of where they might be going. As the sun started to set, they happened upon a deserted rusty shack. Vulpes broke the silence. "We'll make camp here for tonight. We need to talk."

Tash was surprised by this. Vulpes wasn't usually one for talking things over and she wondered how much he was prepared to tell her. He scouted around the shack, checked behind and turned to Tash. "Go find us something to eat, you've proven yourself more than capable of foraging for food. I'll set things up here." He kneeled down and set to making a campfire. Tash stood in the semi darkness and looked around. She spotted a rocky outcrop about half a mile away. It looked the kind of place she might find some geckos so she set off, double checking her 10mm pistol as she went. As she approached, she could hear the telltale chirping sounds of geckos and hunkered down behind a large boulder. Peering round she saw there was at least ten of them milling around with one or two set back from the main group. It was uncharacteristic in her experience to see so many of them together, and it was going to make killing one of them a damn sight harder.

She edged slowly around the boulder, taking care not to disturb any of the loose rocks at her feet. One of the creatures seemed to have lost interest in the group entirely and was making it's way toward her. Tash drew her pistol and prepared to fight, knowing fine well that the first shot would draw all of the other geckos to her. She took a deep breath, spun out from behind the boulder, took aim and, "What the fuck?" she gasped. The creature was not there, but she could hear it. Movement out of the corner of her eye made her look up. The gecko was there, on top of the boulder. It hissed down at her, preparing to attack. She swung her pistol up, relying purely on adrenalin when the gecko collapsed and slid toward her down the large rock. _Seriously_, she thought to herself, _what the fuck is going on_?

"Don't be alarmed," a newly familiar voice whispered from behind her, causing her to swing her gun again, "there are another two large gecko groups within earshot."

"You!" Tash snapped, instinctively bringing her voice to a whisper but keeping her sights trained on the stranger. "Are you following me?"

He crouched and moved closer. "Of course I'm following you, we need to talk."

"How come everyone suddenly needs to talk to me? When did I become a fucking oracle?"

"Your actions throughout the Mojave recently have shown you are a person with whom it's worth seeking counsel. Do not censure it, as many would kill to be so…popular."

Tash snorted. "You speak funny, do you know that?" She was coming to a realisation that she trusted this man, but she couldn't place why.

The stranger gave a slight nod of acquiescence. "I am from a different generation to one you may normally encounter in this world. You could say time has made me unique." He looked at her gun. "Am I to ascertain that as you've not shot me yet, you care to indulge my ramblings?"

"I haven't shot you yet because I don't want to be swamped by geckos. I'm not sure what I'll do when we're alone." She lowered the gun. "What weapon are you using? I didn't hear a thing when you dropped that gecko."

"It's a longbow," he moved silently to the fallen creature and pulled something from it's chest, "an ancient weapon which has sadly, and very surprisingly, been overlooked since the great war. As you can see, an arrow directly to the heart can drop most creatures instantly, and silently. If you decide we can be friends, I'll teach you how to craft one."

"If you want us to be friends, how the hell do I introduce you to Vulpes?" she asked, mentally noting that he would soon be wondering where she'd gotten to. "He's not the most trusting of people."

"Let me worry about Inculta. For now, go back to him and have this talk he wants," the stranger shushed the question Tash was about to ask, "I overheard your conversation at the shack. Go back to him and hear him out. I think you've already decided that what he tells you will determine if you can trust him. I will be nearby, and I will approach you both when I feel the time is right." He started to back away from the Courier, she couldn't hear him move at all.

"Should I tell him about you?" She asked, "You know a lot about me but I don't even know what to call you."

"I'll leave that decision to you. And for now," the stranger said, vanishing into the darkness, "call me Phoenix."

* * *

It took half an hour for the Courier to carry the dead gecko back to the shack. Vulpes stood watching her struggle with the weighty beast and offered no help. Stubborn to the core, Tash asked for none and dropped the creature by the fire, pulling the knife from her boot. After a few minutes of skinning and gutting, she produced several adequate pieces of meat and set to making some steak.

"For someone who wanted to talk," she said, glancing at Vulpes, "you haven't said a damn thing since I left."

He looked at her through narrowed eyes. "Very well." He sat down next to her and removed his hat. "I have been commanded by Caesar to seek out and kill the current possessor of a certain…contract." He studied her closely at this, but her eyes betrayed nothing. "He has re-instated me completely and told me to spin you some brahmin-shit story of giving you protection, to elicit your cooperation in finding the contract." He left it at that and the silence hung between them.

After a few minutes staring at the steaks cooking over the campfire, the Courier responded. "He would kill you for telling me that information."

"You're quite correct," Vulpes replied sombrely, "and a year ago, I would have fallen on my own sword for the same thing. But things have changed. We're are all nothing but pawns in his struggle for power, his own selfish power. I took pleasure in inflicting pain on the profligates while I believed it was for the right reasons. Nipton was the epitome of what is wrong in the world. Wicked and corrupt. Caesar belongs there. He serves no purpose other than his own and would sacrifice every last one of us for his selfish glory."

Tash stared at Vulpes. She'd never heard him speak of Caesar in this way and she could feel the torment with each word he spoke. She understood that almost his entire life had been given to the Legion, that they had stoked the fires of evil within him, but never did she expect to see this side of him. The moment shared between them had drowned out all noise other than Vulpes voice and her own tumultuous heartbeat. She was brought out of it to the smell of burning gecko meat and quickly removed the steaks from the fire.

As she passed one across to Vulpes, he spoke again. "Who was in my quarters while I was with Caesar?" The question surprised the Courier, but it explained why he had been so vigilant since they left the fort. It would have sounded blasé from anyone else, but Tash detected a quiet rage beneath his words. She weighed her options and decided to be honest.

"Seeing as you've been candid with me, I'll tell you the truth."

Vulpes sat upright and his eyes bore into the Courier's. "I expect no less." He growled.

She cleared her throat. "I was visited by a hooded man who claimed to have information that would allow me to gauge him trustworthy or not. He told me why you had been summoned to Caesar and what would happen next. I was uncertain if he was telling the truth or not, so I held him at knifepoint until you returned. As you entered the tent, I looked to where he stood and he was gone." She took a mouthful of gecko steak and chewed. Vulpes portion was forgotten, his concentration on her every word was palpable.

"Who was this man?" Vulpes quietly demanded. "How did he know of Caesar's plans?"

"I don't know." She replied. "He said nobody knew he was there, and leaving the fort would not be a problem for him. You came back before I could get anything more from him."

Vulpes stood up and began pacing. "He must be a spy of Caesar. It's impossible to get into that fort unseen. He is part of my lord's…" he corrected himself, "…Caesar's plan."

"I'm…" Tash hesitated. "I'm not so sure."

Vulpes stopped and looked back at her. "You've seen him again, haven't you?"

"He approached me when I went for food just now, and it may be he actually saved my life. At least, he helped prevent me being overwhelmed by these things." She indicated a piece of gecko steak and popped it into her mouth. She chewed slowly, allowing Vulpes time to process this information. "I think I trust him."

Vulpes started pacing again, deep in thought. "He's an unknown, and I can't risk him being a legion spy. If Caesar finds out I'm less than the perfect Frumentarii, he will send everything he's got after us. No, we've got to move and we've got to move fast. This stranger of yours can try to keep up, but I am in no mood to make new acquaintances.

Now, let's cut the shit. You didn't get to be one of the most revered individuals in the free world without knowing how to keep your ear to the ground. What do you know of this contract that Caesar is hell bent on having? Who holds the contract, and what is it actually a contract for?"

In that moment, a flash of inspiration hit the Courier. Something which Vulpes had just said resonated in her mind. "Wait," she held up a finger, "didn't Caesar tell you who held the contract?"

"No," Vulpes replied, "he simply said that he wanted whoever owned it, dead. Why, do you _know_ who owns it?"

Tash stared hard at Vulpes, thoughts racing through her mind. Yes, she knew who owned the contract, and she knew what the contract was for, but Caesar didn't. In fact, only two people knew those pieces of information and she was honour bound by request not to reveal anything about it. But what had the stranger said back at the Fort? _Caesar has ordered the death of Desmond Lockheart_. If Caesar didn't know the contract owner was Desmond, how did Phoenix know who was to be killed?

"Did Caesar order you to kill anyone else?" Tash asked, trying to keep the tension out of her voice.

Vulpes glared at her through squinted eyes. "No, he did not. Tell me Courier, what are you hiding?"

Tash averted her gaze. "I can't Vulpes, I truly can't. But I think I know someone who can." With that, she lay down by the campfire and closed her eyes. Her last thought before dropping into a heavy sleep, _who the hell is Phoenix?_


	2. Chapter 2

The sun was burning bright when the Courier woke the next day. As she stirred, a shadow cast across her face and she opened her eyes to see Vulpes' silhouetted form standing over her.

"About time," he said, "come on, we need to get going."

She sat up as Vulpes passed her some Prickly pear fruit that he must've gone for that morning. Tash hadn't realised how dehydrated she'd been and she savoured each mouthful.

"Where are we headed?" she asked, juices running down her chin.

He looked at her, "I figured you would know that after what you said last night. Seems you know someone who can _help us_." His last two words were laced with sarcasm. _What the fuck is his problem_, she wondered?

"Ok, well," she stood up and scanned her eyes over the horizon, "if we head for New Vegas it would be a good start. I've a feeling we're going to need some friends before long, and from there I can put the word out."

Vulpes sighed. "Any friend of yours is unlikely a friend of mine. They're probably not going to be too receptive to my presence."

"Tough shit," Tash said, "that's their problem." She moved her eyes to his. "It should be enough for them that I _trust_ you."

He nodded curtly, completely glossing over her admission. "And what of your new…friend?"

In that moment, it dawned on Tash. "Vulpes…" she paused, raising her eyebrows sardonically, "are you jealous?"

Vulpes turned away and started quickly picking up his things. "Don't be ridiculous, that's absurd. I merely do not know this person, nor do I trust him. If he's a spy of Caesar then he could prove to be very dangerous indeed."

Tash grinned at his attempt to refute her accusation, _this is new territory indeed for him,_ she thought. "Oh I think he's dangerous alright, but Vulpes," she crossed to him and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her, his eyes hard once again, "if we get chance, let's hear him out. There's definitely more to him that I'd like to know, that we _need_ to know."

He turned and shrugged her hand from his shoulder. "Let's get moving then."

She picked up her belongings and they set off for New Vegas.

* * *

A pair of eyes watched the Courier and Frumentarii leave the deserted shack. They stared with pure hatred at the man with the Fox hat, replacing hatred with disgust when the Courier entered their field of vision.

The man to whom the eyes belonged, belly crawled along the ridge where he was hidden to keep them both in sight. The sun was hot and uncomfortable on his back, but he didn't care. He had one purpose in his mind, and he would carry it through no matter what.

The pair disappeared down a short valley and he took the opportunity to scramble along on his knees to get into position for them coming out the other side. After 10 minutes, he settled himself onto a ledge, just in time to see his quarry climb back onto flat land. Music drifted to him across the plain. He could just make out the words of the familiar tune and it brought a scowl. _I hate this fucking song_, he thought to himself.

Vulpes and the Courier would soon disappear from his sight, so he backed up to find better ground. As he stood and turned, he felt a cold tug at his neck, which turned to searing heat. He put his hand to his throat and it came away scarlet, dripping in blood. A look of confusion crossed his face as he dropped to his knees. A hooded man stood before him.

"Rest easy, son. This is no longer your fight."

He collapsed forward, the blood draining from the razor thin wound. As he moved from this world to whatever comes next, he could still hear the music in the distance and he realised, he'd never even gotten to hear if spurs jingle jangled at all.

* * *

"For the love of Mars, will you turn off that infernal noise?" Vulpes snapped at the Courier, pointing at her Pip-Boy. "Have you no idea of the meaning of stealth?"

She frowned and switched off the radio. "I've managed perfectly well up to now," she said sulkily, "stop being such a misery."

"There's nothing miserable about being vigilant. A group of damn deathclaws could've snuck up on you while you wiggle your head along to those stupid tunes. At least wait until we're holed up somewhere secure before inflicting them on me."

They climbed down a steep slope, and Vulpes held up his hand to stop the Courier. His keen eyes had spotted something in the distance and she focussed on what he was looking at. She recognised the ramshackle buildings across the dirt and pavement.

"It's the Grub n' Gulp." She whispered. "I know the people who run it. Can you see them?"

He crouched down, pulling her with him. "I can see a body lying in the open, but only one. How many should there be?"

"It's run by Lupe and Fitz, nice people. I hope they're ok." She looked around for signs of a threat, but could see none. Vulpes had obviously reached the same conclusion, so he stood up and slowly moved toward the buildings. She followed, eyes darting to anywhere an attack may come from. They cautiously passed by an old bridge, then the Courier hurried across to the body lying by the stall.

"Shit," she exclaimed, "it's Fitz. He's dead." She looked around and spotted another body lying over a table behind a Brahmin pen, half naked, torn clothes on the floor. It was Lupe. Tash was speechless.

Vulpes examined the wounds on Fitz and sighed with disappointment. "This looks like the work of the Legion. The body is a couple of hours cold."

"What heartless bastard would do this to someone?" She found a blanket and covered Lupe to try and provide her some dignity in death. "She was harmless, trying to make a living out of this shit life!" Her hands shook with rage.

Vulpes spun slowly on the spot, eyes scanning everywhere. "Tash."

She ignored him. "I can't believe some people, and to leave her like that. That's beyond disrespect, it's fucking sick!"

"_Tash_!" Vulpes insisted.

"WHAT?!"

He looked at her. "This is an ambush setup, classic Legion style, with," he nodded in the direction of Lupe's body, "a touch of sadism which isn't so classic. We've got to get out of here."

She stood defiantly. "I'm going nowhere. I want to meet these bastards face to face."

Vulpes face changed to one of consternation as he spotted movement from behind one of the buildings. "Looks like you're going to get that chance."

Tash moved to Vulpes' side as they watched a Praetorian guard walk slowly toward them. From seemingly nowhere, other Legionaries also bore down on them slowly. There were twelve of them that the Courier could see. Vulpes spoke quietly to her. "How many do you think you can take down?"

She whispered back. "With V.A.T.S, probably…four, five at a push. You?"

"With a firearm, maybe four, but I only have my ripper."

Tash sidestepped closer. "I have a spare 10mm tucked into my belt. Take it when the shit goes down, we'll drop as many as we can and break for cover, see what we can do from there. Agreed?"

"Agreed" he replied.

The first Praetorian stopped, some 15 feet from them, the others lined up haphazardly to his left and right. Vulpes thought it unusual as the Legion generally had better organisation than this. At first he wondered if they really were Legion, but he recognised some of the faces before him.

"Vulpes Inculta," the Praetorian spoke slow, with derision, "I'd say it was an honour to meet you, but I'd be lying."

"State your business and be on your way soldier," Vulpes replied, "I am on official business of Lord Caesar."

"My business here is you, and it is of no concern to that pathetic profligate Caesar."

Tash felt Vulpes tense beside her, she attempted to soothe him with a quiet _shhh_. They needed to see where this was going.

"What do you mean, your business is me?" he asked, forcing calm into his voice.

The Praetorian chuckled. "I'm here to remove you and your whore from this world. Things are changing, and you're not a part of it. You'd be dead right now if I didn't want you to see who it was ending your degenerate life."

Vulpes stared, his eyes calculating. "Who do you serve, if not Caesar?"

"Alas, this is not something I'm going to tell you. Just know, by nightfall, your beloved _Lord_ Caesar will have fallen, and we will take New Vegas as our own, crushing all in our path. Farewell Vulpes Inculta!"

"Vale!" Vulpes shouted in response, reaching for the 10mm Tash had told him about earlier. He drew the weapon and shot the Praetorian right in the forehead, just as he was about to issue an order to his men.

Tash barely had time to be impressed with the shot when she was drawing her own weapon and engaging V.A.T.S. She targeted the heads of three men as they started to scramble for battle. Vulpes shot another Legionary in the face as he pulled his ripper free and rushed in to attack a Legionary assassin who was about to attack with his ballistic fist. He swung the chained blade down into the skull of his foe and it ripped into the flesh and bone, burrowing a good 4 inches into his brain, pulling the goggles from what was left of his face. He let go of the weapon as it stuck, falling with the body of the assassin.

Tash released her shots with unerring accuracy and the three men she'd targeted dropped, their heads, faces and throats exploding as bullets ripped through them. A fourth Legionary grabbed at her and as she spun, she jammed the muzzle of her pistol under his chin and fired, emptying the magazine into him. His dead weight pulled what was left of his jaw over the barrel of the gun and Tash had to wrench it free, pushing the body away from her. She and Vulpes made fleeting eye contact as he killed another soldier and both ran for cover, before the others in the ambush party could fully comprehend what had happened.

As they dropped behind a concrete barrier, Tash quickly reloaded and tossed a fresh magazine to Vulpes. He slammed the clip home, took a deep breath, nodded to the Courier and they stood to face the remaining attackers. They reeled in surprise. The men were dead. Four more dead bodies strewn over the impromptu battlefield, a head severed on one, limbs severed on the others, throats cut.

Before Vulpes could say anything, a hand grabbed his forehead from behind and a blood soaked katana blade appeared at his throat.

"Don't move," a smooth voice spoke into his ear, "I do not intend this as an act of aggression, merely a moment to allow you time to control your adrenaline fuelled vigour. I'd hate for you to loose one of your marvellously accurate shots into me before we'd had time to parley."

"Phoenix," Tash shouted, half raising her pistol, "don't!"

"Fear not, young one," Phoenix replied, slowly stepping back and removing the blade from Vulpes neck, "I did not want to be caught in the crossfire, and figured your Inculta here may not stay his weapon long enough for me to introduce myself."

When the blade was clear, Vulpes spun and pointed the pistol at Phoenix, who with exceptionally quick hands, relieved him of it. He took a step back, bowed and offered the gun back to Vulpes, grip first. "Please Inculta, let's not sully this encounter with pride driven acts. I have neither a point to prove, or a grudge to bear, so accept my apology if I offended you. We should move out of the open and secure accommodation for the evening."

Vulpes looked at Phoenix squarely, and took the gun without comment. Tash lowered hers and winked at Phoenix. "I'm not sure if you show up at the best or worst of times," she looked at the four he'd taken down, "but thanks for the assist."

"Not at all. I've been with you all day, here or there. You had a couple of these…men, watching you from the ridges as you travelled. I dispatched them as we went." He looked to where the body of Lupe was covered. "It's unfortunate we did not put an end to them before they got here. Such acts are unfathomable. I do not know these people, but I would like to take some time to lay them to rest, it's the right thing to do."

Tash nodded, "I agree. They were good people. I'll have a look through their supplies and see if they have something to dig with." She disappeared into one of the buildings. Vulpes looked at Phoenix.

"What is your business with the Courier?" he asked, his voice edgy.

"I don't know entirely yet. My instinct tells me she still has a big part to play in events which are still to unfold. She is a close acquaintance of an old friend of mine, and if she can trust me, it could expedite our reunion."

Vulpes nodded. "Ok, then as long as she trusts you, I'll offer you the same, for now. You've shown yourself true in battle, and that speaks more than words to me."

"Thank you Inculta. It's good to know we aren't enemies. You've come a long way from the reputation you'd built for yourself. Am I to assume the Courier has had something to do with that?"

The Fox chuckled. "You could say that." He turned and entered the building to help Tash look for tools.

Phoenix looked at the bodies littered around. _This is going to be interesting_, he thought to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

It had taken a while to dig two graves into the dry compact ground behind the Grub n' Gulp. Tash had found two spades, so they took turns on lookout and digging. Even in the hot sun, Phoenix had kept the hood of his cloak up, and she wondered if he ever took it down. His features were barely discernible in the dark shadow the hood provided.

Once the bodies of Lupe and Fitz had been laid to rest, and the graves filled in, Phoenix spoke some words that Tash didn't understand, but sounded familiar in their tone. Vulpes had nodded solemnly and spoke "Amen" in unison with Phoenix at the end. She'd not seen this side of Vulpes before.

They'd decided to spend the night in the building behind the Grub n' Gulp, so they could discuss events that had transpired, and the best possible course of action they could take next. They turned away from the graves and looked at the Legion bodies still scattered around.

"I think we should burn them," Tash said, no remorse in her voice, "send them to hell for what they did."

Vulpes shook his head. "A message might be best. If the Legion are to march on New Vegas, I want them to know they can expect some resistance."

Phoenix looked from the Brahmin enclosure to the tables, then at Vulpes. "I agree, and what better a message than one you're already familiar with Inculta?"

Vulpes looked at Phoenix for a moment, then grinned, catching on to what he had in mind. "I think I could get to like you. Let's make start, they can take a while."

Tash watched the conversation between the two men with interest. They were both very alike in some respects, yet worlds apart. Vulpes was rigid, regimental and deliberate, whereas Phoenix seemed to move like water, loose and graceful. They were both killers, obviously, but Vulpes gave off a vibe that seemed to indicate he enjoyed it. Phoenix wore an aura of someone who valued life, and would only take it from someone if it was truly required.

She snapped out of her reverie and went to lend a hand as the two men broke apart the wooden tables. "What's the plan then?"

"We're going to hang the bodies from crosses," Vulpes replied, "send a message to any Legionaries that come this way. We'll show them of the fate that awaits them if they continue."

They worked for several hours with minimal conversation. There was only so much camaraderie you could muster when hoisting dismembered and decapitated bodies into a macabre exhibition. Tash built a campfire while Phoenix and Vulpes put the finishing touches to the display, and she was busy heating up some Pork n' Beans she'd found in the shack when they came back from cleaning themselves up.

She dished up the food and passed them a Sunset Sarsaparilla each. Phoenix nodded approvingly.

"I used to drink this all the time as a child" he said, taking a drink. "Always preferred it to that new Nuka-Cola."

"New?" Tash asked, raising her eyebrows. "Thats stuff's been around for centuries."

Phoenix sat silent for a moment. "Well, it was new to me anyway."

Vulpes looked at him. "Don't you think it's about time you fill is in on your backstory? We're going a lot on faith presently."

The hooded man took a mouthful of beans and chewed deliberately. "Some of it I'd rather not mention until we meet up with my old friend, but I can apprise you of some of the more recent events which have led me here.

I arrived in the Mojave a few months ago. I was, shall we say, drawn here by the demise of a certain Mr. House." He held up a hand to silence Tash who was about to interrupt. "I'd sooner not give details of this just yet. Anyway, when I got here, I knew it was the Courier I should seek out, and I travelled around, seemingly in her wake, until I ended up at the Fort."

"Tash tells me you knew of Caesar's plot," Vulpes said. "One which would see the owner of a certain contract dead. What do you know of this, and how?"

Tash interjected. "Tell him anything you know please Phoenix. I'm honour bound not to reveal the contract owner, but I feel you already know who it is."

Phoenix nodded. "I do." He sighed and sat upright, his hood still holding his face in shadow. He tilted his head to Vulpes. "Very well. The contract owner is my old friend Desmond Lockheart, a ghoul with many years under his belt. I spent several days in your Fort listening to any chatter I could get within earshot of. Caesar had spoken of his plans with his trusted aide, a Lanius," Tash spat at this name, "and in turn I learned of his plan to use you both."

"How is it you managed to spend several days at the Fort and avoid detection?" asked Vulpes, his curiosity piqued.

Phoenix chuckled. "That's a very old stealth technique, which pre-dates any written word which is likely to have survived to this day. Incredibly easy to learn, maddeningly difficult to master."

"You keep referring to things which make your age very difficult to ascertain." Vulpes stated.

"Yeah," Tash interrupted, a little too quickly. "How old are you?" Vulpes looked at her, annoyed at her outburst, eyes narrowed with suspicion. She avoided his gaze.

"Some could say I'm in my 35th year," Phoenix responded drily, "but I can safely say I feel much older."

Tash coughed a little, causing another reproachful look from Vulpes. "How is it you know who owns the contract? As far as I was aware, only two of us knew of it."

"How I know of it will become apparent when we meet up with Desmond. What you need to be concerned with, young Courier, is if only you and Desmond knew of the Contract, how is it Caesar knows of it also?" Phoenix stood to walk away. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must go relieve myself."

Tash stared at Vulpes. "He's right," she said thoughtfully. "How does he know?"

* * *

The stranger had still not returned when the Courier and Vulpes turned in for the night. She took the bed, and Vulpes lay on some old sheets on the cabin floor. He'd been stand-offish with her since the quizzing of Phoenix earlier, and truth be told, she'd had too much on her mind to ask him to share the bed with her.

Tash awoke the next morning and Vulpes was still sleeping soundly. She got out of bed and freshened up at the sink, trying her best not to wake the Fox. She exited the shack, secretly hoping that Phoenix would be outside, but there was no sight of anyone. The smouldering embers of the previous nights campfire were all but out, so she got some fresh firewood and stoked them until it was burning once again and opened another can of Pork n' Beans, heating them on the fire.

She heard the distant sound of footsteps behind her and assumed it would be Phoenix. The steps got closer when Tash realised she'd never heard Phoenix's footsteps before, that he moved in near silence. She sprang up and turned to face the newcomer. There were two of them, both wearing familiar blue shirts. Powder Gangers! They both had raised weapons, one of them held a varmint rifle and the other carried what looked to be a 9mm pistol.

Tash calculated the odds of being able to drop them both, and she liked they were in her favour. She noted that they both had sticks of dynamite tucked into their waistbands and she wondered if she could go for some flair and see if she could get the sticks of dynamite to take them both out. They stopped about 40 feet away, just far enough that she might not be able to make a shot of that accuracy.

"Can I help you?" she called out.

"We know you" the one with the pistol replied. "You's that bitch that killed Cobb. Think's herself some kinda big deal in these wastelands."

She sighed. "Joe Cobb was a long time ago, and he was looking to hurt some friends of mine." Dropping her shoulders, she slowly positioned her hands to make a grab for the 10mm. She was sick of this shit, always being called out by someone or other. She pulled her pistol and engaged V.A.T.S, targeting the dynamite just above pistol guy's crotch. She put 4 bullets at it, but only needed 2. The first shot hit him in the stomach and ripped a hole, causing him to double over. The second hit the stick of dynamite perfectly and her plan worked. It exploded and took Powder Ganger pieces with it. Tash dove to one side, ready to be rocked by explosions from the other sticks, but none came. Seems she'd struck lucky and hit the only one that wasn't a dud. She stood up as Vulpes burst out of the shack to her left.

"What the hell happened?" he demanded.

"Powder Gangers," she laughed in reply, "you shoulda seen that shot I just made!"

He looked round at the pieces of body lying around. "I'm not sure I needed to, do you remember we just spent hours cleaning up body bits last night?" He shook his head in mock disbelief.

Tash laughed again. "It's not my fault everyone wants to kill us. Well ok, maybe its a little bit my fault, but hey…you're legion, nobody like you guys." She chuckled at his scowl as she walked over to where the varmint rifle was lying, remarkably still intact. As she bent down, a shot whizzed past her head into the dirt.

"Shit!" She grabbed the gun and took cover. Vulpes ducked into the doorway of the shack.

"Do you see them?" he shouted to her.

She risked a peek over the rock she'd taken refuge behind. "I see movement on the bridge, but I can't make out who or how many."

Another shot rang out and she ducked down again. As she was about to take another look, a lit stick of dynamite came overhead and landed just out of her reach. She scrambled at it, grabbed it and threw it away, back toward where it came from. It boomed and covered her with dust, just as another stick came over.

"Fuck this!" she screamed, and took to her feet. There was no explosion behind her as she weaved through the crosses they'd put up the day before. She hid behind one with the thickest base and looked out. The shooter from the bridge was no longer there and she recognised the outline of Phoenix stood against the blue sky. She saw the flash of a rifle from in front of him and a second later, heard a man scream in agony. She saw him stumble out from behind an old concrete support and drop a lit stick of dynamite. It exploded two seconds after his corpse fell on top of it, disintegrating him. Blood and dust rained down on Tash and she shuddered.

"Ugh! We get all the luck."

Vulpes came out of the shack, pistol at the ready, but they could see no other threat. Phoenix had gone from the bridge, so they took it that he could see no more threats from the high vantage point. He asked if she was ok, and she nodded, though she was shaking. Behind them, the dynamite she'd assumed was dud exploded and they spun in shock, pistols up.

"Must've been a long fuse on that one" she pointed out. Vulpes nodded.

Phoenix approached from the direction of the bridge.

"Where've you been?" Tash asked.

"Taking care of a prior concern." He indicated the mess around them. "I see you've been making friends."

She looked at him, wondering about the vagueness of his whereabouts. "Yeah, I'd taken care of one of their prior concerns." Her tone was sardonic. Phoenix seemed not to notice.

Vulpes spoke. "I'm going to head over to a temporary Legion camp not too far from here. I want to determine if they know what is happening with Caesar, or try to glean which side their loyalties lie. I'll be back by nightfall."

"Good idea," Phoenix replied. "I'm going to scout around for anyone else, unless you would care for support?"

"If it's all the same, I think it would be best if I went alone. My history with the legion might get me further than if I was in the company of a stranger, or the Courier for that matter."

Tash frowned but said nothing. She walked over to the shack and opened the door, as she crossed the threshold she looked back to the two men, hoping she'd see them both again.

* * *

Vulpes Inculta set off south, away from the Grub n' Gulp. He walked tall and his feet soon found the rhythm to which he'd become so accustomed rising through the ranks of the Legion. Despite the desert heat, he barely broke a sweat as he covered ground. He'd told Phoenix he didn't want support, but truth was, he did. Everything he'd done until recently had the backing of an army, and he'd always been one to receive or give orders. He'd never been part of…what was this…a democracy? But, he needed time away from the other two to put his mind in order. Compartmentalising, he'd once heard it called.

He allowed his thoughts to wander until he found them resting on Phoenix. This stranger had found his way into their trust, and yes, Vulpes realised he trusted him, with little more than a brief explanation, a couple of well fought battles and a hell of a lot of guarded mystery. He understood without needing further information that there was more to Phoenix than they could ever guess. He filed him away in a part of his mind, then allowed it to wander once again.

The courier came next, but Vulpes wasn't ready to deal with the multitude of thoughts racing through his mind for her, so he gathered them up mentally, pausing momentarily at the memory he had of being with her before they'd left the Fort, which seemed like months ago, but was in fact…what…less than a week? He locked her away in his mind and vowed to come back. He started thinking again.

This time his thoughts landed on the Legionaries who'd attacked them the previous day. They'd spoken of a plot to overthrow Caesar, that he'd fall before that night was done. He wondered if this was true. Had his once great Lord been removed from power, and if so, who had taken his place? It had to be someone inside the Legion, someone who could garner the trust of the men who'd so often put their lives on the line for the alleged Son of Mars. Images flicked behind his eyes of the most likely candidates. Lanius, Lucius, Aurelius of Phoenix, Gaius Magnus. Had Joshua Graham something to do with this? Ulysses perhaps? No, he discounted the latter two and focussed on the others. It had to be Lanius or Lucius, but which one? They were both as likely or unlikely as each other. They both had the absolute trust of Caesar, and the men they led. Vulpes thought back to the Praetorian who'd spoken to him at the attack. It had to be Lucius, the leader of the Praetorian guard. Yes, it made sense that he would entrust that mission to one of his own men. He filed Lucius away. His thoughts started to stray once more when he was distracted by a distant explosion and he looked west toward it's source. The faint sound of gunfire followed and he thought he could see movement on the horizon. Probably more Powder Gangers, he figured.

Vulpes continued on. It wasn't too far until he'd be able to see the Legion camp, so he decided to give his thoughts a rest until he knew what was ahead. As he approached the single remaining wall of a ruined building, he took cover behind it and peered round. He was higher than the camp, and from this vantage point, he could see it in the distance, though making anyone out was difficult. The smoke of an extinguished campfire rose inexorably upward, carried by the slight breeze that had picked up. Vulpes could not see the Legion Standard flying, or even the pole for that matter and that gave him pause. By their law, no Legion camp should have the banner lowered so it indicated something had gone down here. He emerged from the ruin and made his way toward the camp, checking his pistol as he went.

It took about 10 minutes to get to the outskirts of the camp and Vulpes already knew he would find nobody there. The Legion flag was the thing smouldering in the campfire and there were trails of blood everywhere, though no bodies. The trails seemed to lead off in a single direction, but Vulpes checked each of the three tents first, pistol drawn. They were all empty as he expected, no people, no equipment, nothing. He set off, following the blood tracks which meandered across the dry earth, down a small valley to a crevice between two large rock formations. Raising his weapon he cautiously peeked into the crevice and was surprised to find a door set back about 15 feet, heavy and thick but not as sturdy as a vault door. It was partially open, but too dark to see beyond it. Vulpes stepped into the natural vestibule, wishing he was as silent as Phoenix as he placed each foot as quiet as possible. As he passed between the walls, the silence was almost a sound, broken only by his movement and breathing. His eyes adjusted quickly to the dark and he knew it would grow better still if he kept his gaze away from the bright fissure behind him. He pressed on, eyes darting from side to side. Placing his hand on the edge of the door, he pulled it slowly toward him, thankful it did not make a sound, instead opening effortlessly. When it was open enough to allow him to pass through, he let go and sidestepped through the doorway, pistol at the ready. Peering in, he could just barely discern a long dark corridor leading away to the right of the entrance and a flickering light at the end of it. Confident now that anyone would be silhouetted against the lit backdrop, he took a bold step into the corridor. As he did, he felt a tug at his foot at the same time something above him clicked. He looked up and felt something smash into the crown of his head through the Fox helmet he wore. His vision swam as he sank to his knees and the light at the end of the corridor retreated slowly into a pinprick as he lost consciousness and collapsed to the floor.

* * *

**_PhoenixConcept: _**_I'd like to thank anyone who has managed to keep reading this far. I hope you come back as I update chapters. I'll try not to leave it too long between each one. _


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